Lynn, Cardinals snap Brewers’ nine-game winning streak

Monday

Apr 14, 2014 at 10:22 PMApr 14, 2014 at 11:09 PM

By Genaro C. ArmasThe Associated Press

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers’ nine-game winning streak was snapped Monday night when Lance Lynn struck out 11 in seven innings and Jon Jay hit a three-run homer for the St. Louis Cardinals in a 4-0 victory.

Lynn allowed three hits over seven innings before Carlos Martinez finished off the surprising Brewers, who still have the majors’ best record at 10-3. Lynn (3-0) frustrated hitters by mixing a fastball that topped 95 mph with a slider.

Jhonny Peralta hit a solo shot in the second off Brewers starter Matt Garza (0-2) before Jay sent a ball over the wall near the right field corner in the sixth.

Garza dueled Lynn until running into trouble in the sixth after Craig reached on a fielder’s choice with two outs and Peralta singled to set up Jay’s homer.

Lynn cooled off a Brewers team that was off to its best start since opening the 1987 season with 13 straight wins.

Lynn had Brewers batters missing all night. Jonathan Lucroy, a .357 hitter entering Monday, missed badly on a fastball low in the zone in the second for a strikeout. Two batters later, Scooter Gennett was left frozen at the plate on a called third strike on a heater outside.

Milwaukee’s best hope to score came in the fifth after No. 8 hitter Logan Schafer doubled to right with two outs to put runners at second and third. But that brought Garza, a career .094 hitter, to the plate and he struck out on three pitches.

Otherwise, the Brewers didn’t get another runner past second. Lynn boasted a career 2.53 ERA in 10 games against the Brewers coming in, and his mastery of Milwaukee continued.

With Lynn in control, about the only other drama provided by the Cardinals was when leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter was ejected in the fifth after apparently saying something to umpire Bob Davidson following a called third strike.

Garza allowed nine hits and four runs, and struck out six in seven innings for Milwaukee. Rookie reliever Wei-Chung Wang, a Rule 5 pick, pitched a scoreless ninth in making his big league debut.

Jean Segura, who was batting 1 for 19 at home entering Monday, had two of the hits against Lynn.

NOTES: Cardinals C Yadier Molina got a day off after catching the season’s first 12 games. ... Injured 2B Mark Ellis played his first game on a rehab assignment Sunday at Triple-A Memphis. Ellis, who is on the 15-day DL for left knee tendinitis, played five innings and went 1 for 3 with a run. He was scheduled to play Monday, though Memphis’ game may have been affected by weather. “He didn’t have any issues and felt good afterward, which was the main thing,” manager Mike Matheny said. “He’s on the right track to joining us here soon.” ... Wang, 21, of Taiwan, also saw snow for the first time and got his first major league paycheck Monday. Flurries fell before the game outside Miller Park, which has a retractable roof. ... Manager Ron Roenicke said right-handed hitter Rickie Weeks and lefty swinging Gennett remain in a platoon at second base. ... St. Louis’ Shelby Miller (0-2) faces Milwaukee’s Marco Estrada (1-0) on Tuesday.